This invention concerns an apparatus for lawn maintenance, and more particularly to an engine-powered multi-functional wheeled apparatus for the traversal and treatment of lawns of grass.
Lawns comprised substantially of grass are of importance in the landscaping of buildings. The lawns present an attractive appearance, prevent soil erosion and prevent formation of mud deposits which can be carried into buildings by pedestrian traffic.
As one aspect of the continual maintenance of such lawns, mowing is required to cut the grass at a uniform height. Equipment for the mowing of lawns is well known and in widespread use. The cuttings severed from the grass, if left on the lawn, are unsightly and often adverse to the survival and growth of the grass.
Apparatus for the removal of grass cuttings and other lawn debris such as leaves and other matter of vegetative origin are well known and in widespread use. Such debris-removing apparatus are of several general types, namely: sweepers which physically lift the debris and deposit it into a receptacle mounted on a wheeled chassis, vacuum devices which cause a current of air to entrain the debris and convey it into a receptacle, and blower devices which cause the debris to be displaced to locations for accumulation and subsequent removal.
In the handling of said debris of vegetative origin, the high bulk volume causes difficulties in handling, necessitating large collection receptacles and/or frequent emptying of said receptacles at an ultimate disposal site. Devices for shredding or mulching such debris so as to reduce its bulk volume are well known but are generally designed to operate in a reasonably fixed location adjacent the site of disposal or transportive removal of said debris.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an engine-powered wheeled apparatus which can traverse a lawn of grass to cut said grass at a uniform height and remove the cuttings so formed.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an apparatus of the aforesaid nature which removes from said lawn by air entrainment grass cuttings and other debris of vegetative origin.
It is another object of the invention to provide an apparatus of the aforesaid nature which mulches said removed debris.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus of the aforesaid nature which collects the mulched debris.
These objects and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description.